I want to add I like the idea of them eating food that helps clean their teeth and obviously the ground raw patties I am giving is not doing that. So does it need to contain crushed bone? Totally new to this. Also the puppy has had a sinus infection pretty much since he was 13 weeks and been on antibiotics but not really affected his behavior greatly. Two weeks initially on antibiotics that we thought cleared it, then once pollen came out it re-appeared and is now on his 6th week of two antibiotics that are quite expensive and he does not seem much better. Every morning (mostly) blows brown snots especially when he sneezes so he may have an allergy even though he tested positive for 3 bacteria’s at the vet. It may just be the mucus keeps getting infected. I also want to make sure he has the appropriate nutrients like glucosamine sulfate & chondroitin for a large breed etc.
I have one 80 pound husky and a 80 pound Newfoundland puppy that I am considering switching to raw food. I have been adding raw to their dry food mostly as we have been training and this makes the puppy eat his food and makes his bowel movements predictable and training now finally is established. They both seem to love the commercial raw I have been buying but I just can’t seem to find a good food for a decent price that suits them both. Grain free products gave the puppy diarrhea, and I refuse to give him anything with rice that has arsenic in it. I read several other post’s, one that there was a NH dealer that deliver’s a good raw for a $10 fee, need to research that further, also one that said that feeding raw requires less overall food and even better less overall waste (poops). Let me tell you this puppy is going to be about 165 pounds, and right now eats about 8-9 cups of dry and poops are giant. So any info on what is best to give them, neither is huge on activity, although the puppy will do some swimming but typically Newf’s are laid back, and the husky is 8, and her activity is fighting back the puppy. I am disabled with neck and shoulder issues so mixing this stuff myself is not what I want to do, but I can handle a little of that if needed. Any info is great.
Hi Claire- Most people consider large and giant breed dogs “adults” at the age of 1, however in relation to the calcium and phosphorus they can start eating foods with higher calcium levels between 8 and 10 months so that info is correct.
Regarding the Green Tea Extract, it is known to cause liver toxicity in dogs. Definitely look into it further to make sure you are making the right decision if you want to feed a food with it. Wellness CORE puppy is recommended for large/giant breed dogs, however it contains it, so its a trade off.
Dear Mike and fellow Editor’s choice members,
I have a 9 months old Golden Retriever puppy and I am currently feeding him Canidae Pure Foundations (Grain Free). We are from Australia so our choices are much limited compared to in the USA. I have 3 questions which has caused me problems in choosing the right food for him. Your advice or findings would be greatly appreciated.
1. I have been told by a friend about recent studies shown to switch large breed puppy to adult food at 9 or 10 months of age as they have reached 80% growth.
2. Also about calcium phosphorus level, can I feed my large breed puppy higher calcium levels/calcium phosphorus ratio after he has reached 9/10 months old? Or when can I do so? Or should I only choose kibbles that are within the recommended calcium phosphorus ratio for his whole life? I am interested in feeding him Earthborn Holistic however the calcium level is a bit high.
3. Is green tea extract safe for dogs? According to this website (http://www.thedogpress.com/dogfood/ingredients_liquorman.asp), ASPCA Poison Control Center lists green tea extract on its list of things to avoid for cats and dogs. However, green tea extract is an ingredient in many brands such as Wellness, Artemis, Holistic Select etc.
Thank you.
Regards,
Claire
Hi Meg-
I wanted to suggest Precise actually, however I found peas in the large/giant breed puppy and adult formulas for the Holistic Complete line. Their GF lines also use peas as the carbohydrate source. I’m assuming you are talking about the Naturals line then. I like Holistic Complete more but that is out of the question for your boy. However, it seems to me that you will have to trade off feeding grain free for grain inclusive.
/dog-food-reviews/natures-variety-ultimate-protein/ -Didn’t find any of those ingredients in this one unless I’m missing something.
/dog-food-reviews/grandma-maes-country-naturals-dry/
I didn’t look super hard but these are the 4 and 5 star foods I found without those ingredients. You weren’t kidding about how hard it is to find foods without them!
Pitlove-
That was your fourth post on your opinion on what age to neuter. I think you have made your point. This thread was not about you. It is Udi’s thread and he/she was inquiring about what food to feed his/her large breed pup.
While it is true that whats done is done for this current lab, if you were to get another large or giant breed dog it would be good to do more research and talk to a variety of vets about the proper age of neuter for that breed as many of them can keep growing for a few years. It might seem moot to keep bantering about how 7 months seems young but it is helpful to discuss it incase you want another dog.
Personally I plan to have a least 2 more dogs, one a giant breed (Cane Corso) and another large breed (either another pit, rottweiler or GSD) so I need to know as much as I can about large and giant breed dog health and nutrition.
If my new more integrative vet recommened 18 months for a pitbull I can not imagine 7 months is appropriate for a breed that CAN get upwards of 90 lbs. There is no way a lab is done growing completely by 7 months of age so I have to disagree with that. Proper growth is a huge aspect of large/giant breed puppy health and neutering before growth plates have closed like BCnut mentioned in another thread can cause complications in his growth.
You also had a unique situation with your 11 year old. Something that this person is not going through. You also can’t think that majority of the world is waiting til 11 years old to neuter a healthy dog just for the hell of it. Obviously an older dog, like an older human being, is going to have a harder time adjusting to any surgery. Especially when they are that old. I still maintain that 7months is too young for a large breed dog.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by
Pitlove.
thanks ,
following the link
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
I saw that TOTW are nearly the upper limit for the gram per kcal (4.4 to 1000 kcal) and over the recommended ratio of calcium to Phosphorus with 1.6.
so I consdering to switch to canine caviar
Grain Free Puppy
but they only mentioned “Metabolized Energy= 636 kcal/ cup” is there a way to convert to kcal/kg or should I email them / anyone can tell me if he/she did this check ?
any other suggestion from this attached link :
http://tinypic.com/r/jrrvqp/8
it is a screenshot from my dog/cat food supplier i’m really want to continue to work with it. (80% of the profits goes to rescued dogs/cats shelters. there is a bit of Hebrew in the image but the brand is written in English – don’t get confused š )
Hi Udi W:
Labs are so much fun!! I am not sure if you are concerned about his current weight or the possibility of gaining weight. It is best for his health to keep him lean by not overfeeding and to avoid over exercising him until he reaches maturity; less stress on growing joints. Here’s some more info:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Here’s a thread about large breed puppy nutritional requirements. Read the first three or four pages and the links on the first page:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
On this page look for the post dated October 2, 2013 at 4:22 pm and follow the link to recommended large breed puppy foods. If you choose one of these foods I recommend contacting the company to be sure the calcium/phosphorous ratios are optimal for a large breed puppy, the list has not been updated for a few years.
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/36/
You could also join the Editor’s Choice for a current list of approved large breed puppy foods. Sounds like your pup is in good hands, good luck and have lots of fun with your boy!!
C4D- I am so thankful and lucky that my boy grew properly and has not had any skeletal issues yet. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been for you and your fur family.
It really bothers me that vet’s are still recommending early spay and neutering especially for large/giant breed dogs with how much it can effect their growth and development. It is so important for people to get second opinions and do their own research. The first vet we brought our pitbull to would constantly “remind” us that we needed to neuter him. Every time we came in the vet would go “its time for those things to go”. Finally went to another vet who had a much better outlook and did not push neutering on me at all. It was really refreshing to talk to her.
why large breed food? what am I missing here, I don’t consider a corgi a large dog. Good brands, tho.
Hello! I am getting my first corgi puppy in August and after quite a bit of research I have narrowed down my list of potential food to three different brands. If anyone has used one of these specific formula’s I’d love to hear your opinion and how your dog did on the food.
Fromm
-Gold: Large Breed Puppy
-4 Star Nutritionals: Chicken A La Veg
-4 Star Nutritionals: Duck & Sweet Potato
Wellness
-Complete: Large Breed Puppy
Horizon
-Complete: Large Breed Puppy
-Complete: All Life Stages
-Pulsar: Chicken
I third what everyone else is saying. Royal Canin is very good at marketing to both the pet parent and the veterinarians. However that is about all they are good at. Their food IMO is overpriced corn, rice and by-products. Even foods that are meant for “weight management” tend to not really be formulated correctly for weight loss.
If he is at his ideal weight on TotW no reason to switch. Watch his weight carefully and if you notice weight gain cut back on how much he is eating.
I’d also like to add and stress the importance of managing his weight since he was neutered too early in his life for a large breed dog. Added weight can put more pressure on his frame and since he was neutered before his body has fully grown he has the potential to develop skeletal disorders. My vet had recommended 18 months of age to neuter my large breed dog because he would have been through his critical growth period completely by then. His breed can continue growing until they are 3 years old however. We do not plan to neuter him, however if we were going to I would wait til he was 3.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.
Hi Udi W,
There is no such thing as “neuter dog food”! It’s disappointing that your vet is trying to sell you on Royal Canin. š I’m not a personal fan of TOTW, but I dislike Royal Canin more. If you search on this forum there are a lot of discussions and recommended foods for feeding a large breed puppy to prevent joint/bone disorders. You could pick a food recommended from that list. The one thing you are going to have to watch is the calorie intake as you don’t want your puppy to grow too fast and I would definitely suggest feeding 2 meals per day as opposed to one.
Red has given you some good suggestions. I have/had labs myself. My current ones are over 10 and somewhere in the 5-7ish range, male & female, both altered. I’ve never fed a “neuter dog food” and they are both in excellent shape because I watch the calories and they get lots of walks.
Hi pitlove – my breed is a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. My male is 75 lbs. They run from 55 to about 75 pounds. My current boy is on the large end of the spectrum. I like the protein/fat to be in the range Orijen offers but just want to start off with a food that is not quite so rich. I appreciate your suggestions – thanks a bunch!
Hi Laura-
What breed of dog is this? I’m feeding Precise Holistic Complete at the moment for my pitbull. They have small/medium breed formulas and large/giant breed formulas. The large/giant breed formulas are really great foods for LBP’s and they are much less rich than Orijen. I have fed Orijen with no issue for my dog, however he has always eaten foods with %’s higher than 30 for protein and has no problems with it.
So far I really like the Precise and I plan to use one of their Grain Free formulas next. I’m using a grain inclusive one at the moment, however since I feed a rotational diet I am not worried about adverse reactions to grains as he won’t be on it for more than 1 medium sized bag.
Especially with large breeds, neutering early, before the growth plates close, can cause joint issues. Neutering slows down the closure of growth plates and depending on the age you neuter, some growth plates will already be close, as is natural, but others will stay open abnormally long, causing those bones to grow to a longer length than they were supposed to, which puts stress on the joints.
Citing a decrease in testicular cancer from neutering before a certain age strikes me as funny, since neutering at any age, as long as it is before the dog gets testicular cancer (which isn’t all that common anyway), completely removes the risk of testicular cancer, since the testicles are completely removed.
I have read a lot of research recently reporting that neutering may actually cause more behavior problems than it prevents, other than the desire to breed and those related behaviors. Neutered males are often cited as the aggressors in dog fights. Neutering seems to remove some caution as well as removing body parts.
If you are prepared to be a responsible owner, then neutering may be unnecessary. However, if you doubt your ability to keep your dog at home, under control, then neutering is better done early, before the dog gets to breeding age, regardless of other issues.
I have heard of some joint health risks for large breed puppies if they are neutered before 6 months, but I don’t think I’ve heard of any after that. I know more about it for female dogs, but I’ve never heard of anything wrong with neutering after 6 months for LBPs.
However, as someone who has volunteered in animal rescue, I definitely think you should neuter your dog at some point. I have seen far too many cases of puppies ending up in shelters due to people not spaying and neutering. Yes, it is more of a problem with owners that are irresponsible, and you are certainly responsible if you are asking this question, but anything can happen to any dog.
I have a question that is probably silly, but I want to be sure. After a large breed puppy is grown, is it alright to feed them a food that is higher in calcium? I like Earthborn’s Primitive and it reads a min. of 1.5%. Should I have the dogs on a lower calcium food, or is it okay now that they are adults? Thank you!
Did you check the Editor’s Choice recommended puppy food list that includes large breed pups? There are some great choices on that list. Btw, I’d get the fecal ASAP.
Thanks for the responses. He’s been vet checked but we haven’t done a fecal on him yet, going to do that next week. I work at a vet clinic and I have seen some dogs with Giardia and I don’t think that’s the problem. I watched him poop this morning and they are a little more firm less green today. I’ve owned a bloodhound in the past with a similar stomach problem with allergy to grain so I think that’s what It might be. The hard thing is finding a grain free large breed puppy food that is high quality. :/
Lucia,
I know nothing about large breed puppy food but I’d choose a food from HDM’s list and feed it. Add a probiotic. Do a very slow transition over a week. Keep him on this food for a couple months, at least. If you want to try another food, repeat.
Ashlee,
somewhere in this thread is a link to the list of approved large breed puppy foods. HoundDpgMom compiled the list; she has bloodhounds too. You’d do well to feed a food from this list. I have a hound named Boone too! He’s the pbgv in my photo here!
I’m trying to find a dog food with suitable calcium ratios for medium-large breed dogs prone to hip dysplasia, namely malamutes and huskies. We’ve been feeding different Earthborn Holistic flavors, but the calcium in Primitive concerns me. I’ve emailed the company regarding a maximum calcium as the minimum is 1.5%, but have yet to receive a reply. Does anyone know if this food is safe for medium/large breed dogs & puppies?
Thanks!
I’ve had a bit of experience with this very issue. Growing up, dogs and cats were not neutered. None of the family dogs had issues. With our own dogs if they were neutered, it was in adulthood, over 2 years old. We had no issues. About 18 years ago, we got a puppy from a local shelter who was neutered @ 8 weeks old. He was a large breed male(80 lbs). He tore his first cruciate @ 2 years old when he was in fantastic shape and very active. He tore the second one a year later. We have another rescue that we found in a kill shelter (stray with no known history) that was about 8 months old, female, large breed who had been spayed at some point in her life prior to being in the kill shelter. She tore her cruciate @ 5 years old and on the other knee there a partial tear at some point after this.
As a result I’m strongly against pediatric neutering. I have a current dog that I foster failed who was at least 3 years old (maybe 5) that was intact male until I got him. He has great muscle and really solid bone structure. The problem is I foster and the groups are now doing pediatric neutering. I understand that they don’t want more unwanted puppies, but I feel the dogs and the owners (financially) often end up suffering because of this. On the flip side, many large dog breeders are no longer guaranteeing sound dogs if you neuter before 18 months. The research is also pointing to less of the early benefits regarding cancers, etc. that were originally touted. If I had the choice today I would do a sterilization, like a vasectomy in humans. Here are some links:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/09/30/neutering-health-risks.aspx
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498
http://www.dogsports.com/rethinkingspayneuter.html
Good luck in your decision!
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This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by
C4D.
I have a 4 month old male bloodhound named Boone. He’s been fed on wellness large breed puppy formula. He hasnt done well on wellness. His poop isn’t as firm as I would like. He’s been checked by a vet with no problems. Also keeping weight on him is really hard. He’s is pretty active throughout the day and plays alot. He’s of course gaining weight from growing but you can still see his ribs and he’s still pretty skinny. He’s fed 4 1/2 cups a day. I’m not sure what food to try next. There’s not many large breed puppy foods. I’ve been recommended blue buffalo but unsure about the high protien if it’s too much. I could really use help!
I’m stuck. I have a 4 month old bloodhound puppy named boone. I’ve owned bloodhounds before but Boones tummy is presenting a problem. I cannot get Boones poop normal. It’s still a squishy green color. He’s been on wellness puppy for large breed for about a month now. Boones pretty active during the day, he come to work with me and plays with dogs for atleast an hour everyday. And at home he continues to play. He’s 38 pounds right now, he’s been check by my vet at work and has been cleared healthy. Im at a loss on what food to try now. I need a large breed puppy food that is grain free. Any suggestions?
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This topic was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by
Ashlee S.
I was hoping to get some opinions on what age is best to neuter a large breed. I’ve searched thru this site & can not find this as a topic thread (if it is, I apologize for being redundant )
There are a zillion things about this on Google tho, so now it’s very confusing!
Everyone here seems pretty good at sourcing info so I thought I’d ask, even though it is not a direct dog food question.
Also, at what age should the calcium be less of a concern? My Loki is an almost 7 months old mixed breed intact male who really digs his rotational diet, but I was wondering when I could open more options.
Thanks everyone for this awesome resource!
I agree that I don’t think there is one food specific to a breed as every dog’s health needs are different regardless of breed. As I read more posts on this site I see more and more recommendations for foods that have gone through a number of recalls though which causes me a lot of concern. I recently came across what seems to be at least a somewhat well thought out and thoroughly if not scientifically lab tested review of a large number of commercially available foods that started with a list of 2,219 and ended with a final list of 121. It contained a lot of what seemed like good information to me that would at least allow people to research the individual foods and their content for themselves. It gets you to good quality foods at least and eliminates the companies with recall issues with foods that are making dogs sick. I’ve seen many of them listed on this site but that haven’t been called out as having had food recalls. Just an FYI. Here is the link http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/#home
Blue Wilderness
Blue Wilderness Adult Large Breed
You give it 5 stars but don’t list in Editor’s choice
What about Blue wilderness Large Breed Adult
It’s a 5 star rated food
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This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by
Alan K.
Hi Traci G-
Large breed puppies have special requirements due mostly to potential joint issues from growing too fast, being too chubby and/or too much/little calcium in their diets. Here is a link that will help you to choose a more healthy food for your pup: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Please try to find a 3,4 or 5 star that fits these guidelines. I wouldn’t feed Pedigree, in my opinion, it has some very questionable ingredients.
Here is a list from Oct. of 2013 that lists foods that are appropriate for large breed pups at that time. I’d make sure they still fit the guidelines before you decide to feed. This is not necessarily a complete list. There may be other brands and recipes at this time that are appropriate: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?usp=sharing.
There are several articles in the library on the review side of this site that may be very interesting to you on how the food is rated and how to read a food label. I know I never read a guaranteed analysis or ingredient label before coming to this site.
I bet your puppy is adorable. Great Danes make great pets! My co-worker has one and shows me pictures of her trying to sit on her lap! She doesn’t realize how big she is!!
Best of luck to you! Write back if you have anymore questions.
Traci,
Please go to the Diet & Health issues forum here. On top is a stickie for “Large Breed Puppy Food” or something along that line. That is the thread you need to read. Start from the last page and work back, looking for the list of approved foods for larg breed puppies and no, Pedigree will NOT be on the list.
My boyfriends brother has fed Precise Holistic complete large/giant breed formula for their great dane and he is in perfect health, fantastic coat, no skeletal problems what-so-ever. I ordered a bag yesterday for my pitbull. He’s an adult but i think its a very good quality food. it is recommended by TheGreatDaneLady.com as well.
I would absolutely switch from Pedigree. It is not a quality food at all and does not met the strict requirements for large/giant breed puppies.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.
I recently rescued a 4 month old Catahoula mix puppy. The limited paperwork that I received from the previous foster mom said she had been feeding her “retriever puppy food” from the tractor supply store. During her initial vet check, the doctor said her teeth (mostly baby thankfully) were in terrible condition and said I should feed her quality food. She wanted to sell me on Royal Canin, which is the only line the vet directly sells.
I have a 6 year old APBT mix who eats Ideal Balance Large Breed Dry. I started the puppy on IB’s puppy dry, but she eats both her food and the adult food. And while I know occasional snacking of the adult food isn’t terrible, I would prefer if possible, to buy 1 food for both dogs.
All of the Editor’s Choice list foods seem to be specifically formulated for adults (and there’s the separate list for puppies). I don’t want to cut quality for cost.
Neither dog is overly attached to Ideal Balance and I often have to top their kibble with canned food to get them to eat.
Anyone have any 4-5 recommendations for All Life Stages food or am I just better off sticking to the adult and puppy food?
Thanks!
The google pdf calcium list almost 2 years old. I mention this because on the Editor’s Choice forum someone asked about Orijen Large Breed puppy, and it was not the google doc, but it is on the editor’s list of approved LBP food. I would double check all the foods on the list too since many companies reformulate over the years.
Orijen large breed puppy is on the editors choice approved list of food for large breed puppies. The calcium is minimum 1.2% and 1.5% maximum. I feed it to my mastiff puppy. The Google doc has not been updated for some time.
I noticed Horizon Pulsar Turkey is listed under Editor’s Choice suitable for large breed puppies, however; the calcium content on their website and the package label is higher than what is listed on this forum.
The editor choice page states the turkey fomula has 1.17% calcium, 0.87% phosphorus. Horizon’s states the formula has 1.5% calcium, 1.05% phosphorus.
I’m looking for limited ingredient for a mastiff puppy with potato, salmon, squash, wheat & barley allergies.
Thank you!
I have a 2 and 1/2 year old golden retriever that has within the past 4 to 5 weeks become very afraid of TV and has become very “clingy” and “skittish.” When the TV is on, she runs by and sits in the other room. It is the same TV we had when we brought her home as a puppy. While visiting relatives this weekend, she was afraid of their TV also. She hates having her harness pulled over her head. She jumps at sudden movements. Nothing else has changed. She still loves to play and run. Her daily schedule has not changed. About the same time this started, I started her on Nutrisource Chicken and Rice Large Breed Adult dog food. She loves it. She still loves going in the car. But she follows us around the house like she’s afraid. Today, I sat in the garage with her during a lightning and thunderstorm and it didn’t bother her in the least. We don’t have any idea what has caused this.
Hi all!
We currently own an intact 4 1/2yr old Bernese Mountain Dog bitch. She is shown in conformation by her breeder. She just whelped her first litter (they are 5wks old now). We will be keeping the pick pup which her breeder will show. We have narrowed it down to two. One boy and one girl. I am having a hard time deciding which to go with based on sex. Both are VERY similar in personality and conformation. Here are my thoughts… having two females means that 4-5 months out of the year we would have a bitch in heat and blowing her coat. And by blowing her coat I mean that I have TONS of hair floating around everywhere. It is daily vacuuming and that does not even touch the amount of hair that comes off before a heat cycle. Of course they would most likely not go into heat at the same time – which is why I say 4-5 months out of the year this would be our reality. If we choose a boy, then twice a year when our current girl is in heat – we would have to send our boy somewhere. The breeder has offered to take him (possibly) – but he already has 6 dogs and I don’t want to burden him as he does not have a lot of space to begin with.
A bit about us, in case this matters in helping us decide… we have 3 children, 10, 7 and 3yrs old. We have a large fenced in yard and I’m a stay at home mom – so I’m always home for the dog(s). Another option, if it seems beneficial to our current girls health would be to spay her. I plan to talk with her breeder (she won’t be having any more litters as she will be 5 in September) and her vet about this option. IF that is the case and it seems beneficial to her health to spay her now then we will do that. So then it just leaves the decision on whether we want an intact boy or another female (which we already know what that is like).
Appreciate any advice from those who have experience in this.
Hi merleGDgirl-
WellnessCORE puppy is a great choice for a giant breed dog, however I would caution you that they made a recent change to their formulas and it now has green tea extract in it which has been linked to liver toxicity in dogs. As for Orijen and Acana, they are both excellent brands and I would highly recommend them after your pup has reached 8-10 months of age as they both unfortuntely do not make a food with the correct calcium and phosphorus levels that giant breed dogs (especially danes) need for proper bone growth and development. My boyfriends brother has had their great dane on Precise Holistic Complete and he is in excellent condition with no skeletal dieases what so ever. They make a large/giant breed puppy formula. However, you would need to order it online.
WellnessCORE isnt going anywhere in terms of the company. My Petco still carries it and will continue to. It might simply just be PetSmart that does not want to do business with their distributer anymore or something like that.
Does your PetSmart carry Nature’s Variety? They make 2 formulas (The Turkey Limited Ingrident Diet and the Rabbit Meal) that both have correct calcium/phosphorus levels.
Also, here is a list of other foods with those same correct levels, the first half of the list is grain inclusive, the second half is grain free
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
GL with your new baby! Post some pics!
I think that the Orijen Puppy Formula should be included as a 5-star food just like the Orijen Large Breed Puppy formula is. Is there a reason it is not included on the list?
Thanks
Pitlove,
The protein theory HAS essentially been debunked. The best you can do for prevention of Pano is to keep your pup lean, and keep his growth slow and steady, with a low calcium/phosphorus diet. There has even been some recent argument that for large breed puppies, it may even be better to feed them an adult diet earlier, reducing the calories they’re getting as well as having a lower calcium/phosphorus content, but I’m awaiting word from a conference a friend is attending before stating that as fact.
Hi, sounds like IBD, you need to find a good vet that knows the breed & knows about IBD, a few vet are useless when it comes to IBD a good vet spots IBD straight away …..try lowering the fat sounds like Acid reflux with the licking the air & licking the floor, high fat diets are no good for acid reflux….also kibble isn’t good for acid reflux… what I do is I soak the low fat-10% Hypoallergenic, Gluten, Sugar & Dairy FREE kibble, when the kibble is swollen, I drain all water then I put thru a blender comes out like wet tin food but its not soggy the soaked kibble seems to fluff up this seems help with digestion & the acid reflux also I give Zantac tablet 1/3tablet every 12 hours 1 hour before eating but lately I’ve been giving Mylanta 3-5mls in syringe 30 mins before food or if I see him with discomfort (having to rub his stomach after eating)…. you can also try Famotidine (Pepcid) ant acid meds or the liquid Pepto bismol …you can get from chemist….. Zantac is better as Zantac doesn’t affect the bowel where all the other ant acid tablets can affect the bowel…. with kibble try a kibble that’s around 10%min fat so max % will be around 12-13% if I go over 12% fat Patch starts swollowing, grinding his teeth, licking paws & licking has blanket… also look for a limited ingredient kibble as some ingredients can make stomach acid worse & give diarrhea…. try a limited ingredient lower fat kibble & she if she improves… something like the “California Natural” Hypoallergenic limited ingredient, there’s their Lamb & Rice large breed it has just 4 ingredients http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
She may need an Endoscope + biopsies done this way you will get answers instead of spinning your wheels & going in circles like I did for 2 years, I wish I did the Endoscope + Biopsies when all the problems started… Patch is a rescue..
Sometimes the diet that you don’t like is the diet that will agree with your dog.. I had to put my boy on Vet prescription vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue diet….. high soluble fiber diets were no good, they just sit in the stomach & ferment giving acid reflux, stomach pain, bad breath etc the fiber in the Eukanuba Intestinal was only 1.75% then when Patch was stable & doing really well I started introducing new kibbles & none seemed to work as a lot have peas, potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, these foods are all high in Lectins.. Lectins can cause Leaky Gut…so now I stick with kibbles that have rice & I have no problems…. One month ago I saw a Naturopath & started low fat raw diet, Kangaroo mince with blended veggie & fruit, carrot, broccoli, celery, banana, apple & I have to use Digestive Enzymes & live probiotic to stop any nausea & diarrhea from the raw so far everything is good, this week I have been cooking the raw & veggie mix minus the fruit & making a meat loaf with all the ingredients & then adding boiled Quinoa to fill him more…. Patch cant eat boiled rice it irritates the bowel.. I don’t have to use a digestive enzyme either with cooked like I do when I feed the raw diet…I give the cooked meal for breakfast (I pre make & freeze all the meals) & I give the soaked Hypoallergenic gluten sugar & dairy free kibble at night for dinner ……Ask around & try & find a good vet in your area & keep a diary so when new vet asked when did that happen you have dates & how many times it happened & what she was eating if she had diarrhea or vomiting … the antibiotic she was put on was probably Metronidazole its an antibiotic for the gut & bowel… my vet has given me a few repeat scripts, I just go to chemist & get out, its 1/4 of the price.. when I see Patches poos not looking too good, I start him on the metronidazole for 2 weeks & go back to a very bland diet to get him stable again before it gets real bad …. Have you joined any German Shepherd groups?? there’s one on yahoo …. oh also a few people in a group I’m in who have German Shepherds with stomach/bowel problems feed “Taste Of the Wild” kibble…. Good-luck
My Shiloh Shepherd is 6-months old. He recently switched to Fromm Gold and Canidae (both large breed puppy foods) for his kibble (and has been on Tripett for his canned food all along, as tripe is beneficial to digestion). I’ve gone over the suggestions of HDMom’s PDF, and most seem pretty valid even now. The main “premium” foods I’d shy away from at the moment are Wellness, Holistic Select, Old Mother Hubbard, and Eagle Pack. They recently began adding Green Tea Extract to all of their foods (they’re all made by WellPet), and I just don’t understand why, as a Pubmed search finds multiple research articles that show it causes liver toxicity in dogs. No way will I have Galen touch those foods.
We have 4 month old Shiloh Shepherd and I’ve had her on Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy and THK Embark/Love mixed in. I also add krill oil and occasionally ground lamb or a sardine and a couple times a week she get a frozen raw beef rib bone with meat on it for her teething so I think I’ve been feeding her ok.
I want to transition her to raw eventually and I’m trying out some of the Primal formulas to start with rather than jump into full force to start. I’m just using the freeze dried nuggets right now for convenience. My question is are the suggestions on HDMoms PDF still pretty valid and would the Primal formula suggestions on it apply to the freeze dried as well? I just want to assure I’ve got her on the right path.
Thanks for any help
Yes I thought maybe food intolerance.. I also have tried the Wellness Simple last year ..I had to try the Lamb & Oatmeal formula cause Patch can’t eat potatoes so I cant feed the grainfree Simple formulas… he also started doing sloppy poos half way thru introducing the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal.. I’ve just realized this year Patch cant eat peas, & the Wellness Simple has peas…..Have you tried the “California Natural” limited ingredients Hypoallergenic Lamb & Rice large breed …it has just 4 ingredients, Lamb, Brown rice, white rice & sunflower oil, so there’s less chances of having a reaction to a ingredient…
While Orijen is a great food, it does not meet the proper calcium requirements for large breed puppies (none of their food does including the LBP formula). Wellness CORE puppy however, does. I would go with Wellness CORE for now. Here is a link to other foods that have proper calcium levels for up until hes about 8 to 10 mos and can absorb the calcium properly.
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
I would absolutely recommend Orijen for after the 8 to 10 mos. Its an amazing food and my dog loved it!
edit: I would also recommend either of the Nature’s Variety formulas mentioned on the list.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 12 months ago by Pitlove.
Hi Kari-
I disagree that a puppy and 5 year old dog can’t eat the same food. You can absolutely feed the same food to both you would just maybe not feed the same amounts. Idk if you consider your dog a senior dog at 5, but if you do senior dogs need MORE protein than puppies and adult dogs contrary to popular belief. Senior diets are often very very low in protein however, a puppy food wouldn’t be. I never care about what the front of a bag says. My pitbull is currently eating a food marketed for “small breeds” lol. its just smaller kibble size and hes fine with it. I would have no problem feeding him puppy, adult or senior food as long as the ingredients were up to par for me and the nutrient profile was correct.
Take a look at the list Dori linked. Those are all foods that have proper calcium levels for large breed puppies like your golden doodle. and please make sure you don’t overfeed as that, along with improper calcium/phos levels can cause many skeletal disorders like pano, OCD and hip dysplasia.
Here is a link to large breed puppy foods on DFA put together by HDM. Hope this helps.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit
4 months ago
